Sherri Church, the new proprietor of the Gray Catbird Gift Shop, which has moved next door to the Gray Catbird Pottery Studio at 22 E. Main St. in Huntington.
Reminder Publishing photo by Amy Porter
HUNTINGTON — The Gray Catbird Gift Shop at 22 East Main St. has moved next door to the Gray Catbird Pottery Studio under the new ownership of Sherri Church of Worthington, one of the over 70 local artists who has shown in the gift shop since it first opened in the Montgomery Marketplace. Dale Rogers will continue to run and expand the Gray Catbird Pottery Studio.
Church, a wampum artist who has been carving jewelry out of Quahog clams from her native Martha’s Vineyard for the past 15 years, moved to Western Mass. three years ago with her husband to be closer to her grandchildren. Her daughter Samantha previously had a shop on the Vineyard called Driftwood Jewelry where Church had worked, and she had been dreaming about opening a similar store here.
Instead, Church has taken over the Gray Catbird Gift Shop, allowing Rogers to focus on the pottery studio and expand it to offer more artist workshops in other media year-round under the management of Alicia Hackerson, another member of the thriving artist community. New artist classes offered this summer include basket weaving, glass fusing, flower arranging, watercolor and portrait drawing, with only a few spaces left. More will be offered in the fall.
Church, Rogers and Hackerson expect crossover activity between the shop and the studio as new artists offer classes and the pottery studio continues to expand. Pottery classes offer hand building — slab, pinch and coil methods — and wheel-throwing.
Nearly all of the artists and artisans who showed in the shop next door have moved over. Church has added a few new ones, and is welcoming more who would like to sell their work in the shop. Featured are wood carvers, potters, basket weavers, flute carvers, watercolor artists, knitters and jewelers. Also offered for sale are body lotions and soaps, stained glass and glass fusing, photography, one-of-a-kind cards, baby and children’s items and books by local authors.
“There’s something for everyone,” Church said. “I would like the shoppers to come in for a peaceful experience viewing all the great artisans here in Western Mass.”
Church will also open an online shop in the next few weeks, featuring items from the shop for sale. Other plans she has include putting together artisan baskets for the holidays.
Hours for the new Gray Catbird Gift Shop will be Wednesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The store will also be open during evening workshop hours at the Gray Catbird Pottery Studio next door.
Church and the Gray Catbird Gift Shop may be reached at graycatbirdgiftshop@yahoo.com or 508-962-7866. Rogers and the Gray Catbird Pottery Studio may be reached at graycatbirdpottery@gmail.com or 413-875-5205
The Gray Catbird Gift Shop officially opened July 16. All of the featured artists are invited to come to an all-artisan event on July 19 from 4 -6 p.m.
“Alicia, Sherri and I all care deeply about our community, and we celebrate the artistic talents among us all. Some sweet balance to the hardships we all face can be found in creating and appreciating beauty. So let’s make Art, everyone!” said Rogers.
